I Can't Believe March is Almost Over!
Wow! Is it just me or has March really sped by? I last updated on the 6th when my daughter started at her new school, and now Spring has sprung for crying out loud!
*Shakes head in wonder*
I'm happy to report that school is still going well for my daughter. It's been something of a shock for her to go from class pariah to the belle of the ball, but that's basically what has happened. Well, maybe that's stretching things a bit, but getting her out her other school has done wonders for her. She's still moody and teenager-y, but she's perked up quite a bit, and is far more pleasant to be around. She's also starting to make future plans and trying to figure out what she wants to do after graduation, so yay! I'm glad to see a bit of spunk and ambition in that kid. She's been basically apathetic and miserable for too long.
I met with a three other ladies from work on the 7th, and learned how to make beaded jewelry. I'm now something of a running gag among the others because I've taken to beading like a duck to water. mollymorrison does lovely work and handheld me thorough the basics of wire jewelry making a while back (the daughter unit and I both produced a pair of earrings) but I didn't really get into it. I was convinced that I dither too much and my hands are too clumsy, and . However, I have a beaded lanyard that I broke and wanted to fix, and I thought it would be nice to have alternate bands for the Medic Alert bracelet I have to wear all the time, so I agreed to go.
Long story short, I had a fabulous time. I've always liked patterns, so the bead stringing is actually kind of fun (even if my hands are clumsy and I'm forced to work over a cake pan because I drop so much.) :-p To date, I have three bracelets for my Medic Alert tab, one with matching earrings. I've also made a necklace, bracelet and earrings for my mother in law, two pairs of earrings and two charm bracelets for my daughter, and a bracelet for one of the ladies at work. nightwolfwriter has been very nice about the whole thing. He offers opinions on my works in progress, admires my finished pieces, and doesn't roll his eyes too much at the stuff I've bought. ;-)
Personally, I see this as a good sign. This wanting to be all creative again. For a long time I felt stifled and couldn't put my finger on exactly why. Even with the meds my doctor gave me, I guess the daughter's plight was weighing a little heavier on me than I realized.
I've been picking half heartedly at my next chapter, ever since I published 35, but it just sounded flat or wasn't going quite the way I wanted. Late last night I think I figured out what I want to do. The pieces make sense for the first time in I don't know when. It's like I can devote a little energy and brain power to something besides work (need money after all) and my daughter's school situation. I decided to go to a scrapbooking crop at the end of February, and didn't get a darn thing done. I was simply too worried about meetings, IEP's, school, the future... The difference between the beading session and the February crop was like night and day.
Yeah, my creative side is beginning to seriously assert itself again, which I think is a good thing. It hasn't just been the beading and writing, either. When nightwolfwriter took me shopping for my birthday on the 8th, I found a new coat on sale at Wilson's Leather. (It was a steal. A $350 coat marked down to $89 for end of year clearance. Woo!) It's a funny color, somewhere between red and burnt orange, so what do I find myself wanting to do? Why knit a scarf of course. It's a cinch my purple scarf will never do! :-D
Even if I didn't really get any scrapbooking done at the February crop, I did pick up a useful bit of information. Seems my county has a walking/running group called the Striders. The lady who was hosting the crop told me about her participation, and it sounded decent (and inexpensive!) :-D This is supposed to be a group where experienced walker/runners coach the beginners. You'd never know it to look at me now, but I used to be pretty good at running. It was the only sport I could handle. There was no team, no ball, no equipment. It was just me and my own two feet. Anyhow, they're starting an all female beginning walker/runner class near the end of April and I think the daughter unit and I are going to participate. It's an eight week class with the opportunity to extend for a little longer, and it might be just the kick in the butt I need to get started again.
At least that's the goal. Exercise is one of the easiest habits to fall out of I ever saw. :-( But I do remember how much better I used to feel and I do miss it. I hope this does the trick.
*Shakes head in wonder*
I'm happy to report that school is still going well for my daughter. It's been something of a shock for her to go from class pariah to the belle of the ball, but that's basically what has happened. Well, maybe that's stretching things a bit, but getting her out her other school has done wonders for her. She's still moody and teenager-y, but she's perked up quite a bit, and is far more pleasant to be around. She's also starting to make future plans and trying to figure out what she wants to do after graduation, so yay! I'm glad to see a bit of spunk and ambition in that kid. She's been basically apathetic and miserable for too long.
I met with a three other ladies from work on the 7th, and learned how to make beaded jewelry. I'm now something of a running gag among the others because I've taken to beading like a duck to water. mollymorrison does lovely work and handheld me thorough the basics of wire jewelry making a while back (the daughter unit and I both produced a pair of earrings) but I didn't really get into it. I was convinced that I dither too much and my hands are too clumsy, and . However, I have a beaded lanyard that I broke and wanted to fix, and I thought it would be nice to have alternate bands for the Medic Alert bracelet I have to wear all the time, so I agreed to go.
Long story short, I had a fabulous time. I've always liked patterns, so the bead stringing is actually kind of fun (even if my hands are clumsy and I'm forced to work over a cake pan because I drop so much.) :-p To date, I have three bracelets for my Medic Alert tab, one with matching earrings. I've also made a necklace, bracelet and earrings for my mother in law, two pairs of earrings and two charm bracelets for my daughter, and a bracelet for one of the ladies at work. nightwolfwriter has been very nice about the whole thing. He offers opinions on my works in progress, admires my finished pieces, and doesn't roll his eyes too much at the stuff I've bought. ;-)
Personally, I see this as a good sign. This wanting to be all creative again. For a long time I felt stifled and couldn't put my finger on exactly why. Even with the meds my doctor gave me, I guess the daughter's plight was weighing a little heavier on me than I realized.
I've been picking half heartedly at my next chapter, ever since I published 35, but it just sounded flat or wasn't going quite the way I wanted. Late last night I think I figured out what I want to do. The pieces make sense for the first time in I don't know when. It's like I can devote a little energy and brain power to something besides work (need money after all) and my daughter's school situation. I decided to go to a scrapbooking crop at the end of February, and didn't get a darn thing done. I was simply too worried about meetings, IEP's, school, the future... The difference between the beading session and the February crop was like night and day.
Yeah, my creative side is beginning to seriously assert itself again, which I think is a good thing. It hasn't just been the beading and writing, either. When nightwolfwriter took me shopping for my birthday on the 8th, I found a new coat on sale at Wilson's Leather. (It was a steal. A $350 coat marked down to $89 for end of year clearance. Woo!) It's a funny color, somewhere between red and burnt orange, so what do I find myself wanting to do? Why knit a scarf of course. It's a cinch my purple scarf will never do! :-D
Even if I didn't really get any scrapbooking done at the February crop, I did pick up a useful bit of information. Seems my county has a walking/running group called the Striders. The lady who was hosting the crop told me about her participation, and it sounded decent (and inexpensive!) :-D This is supposed to be a group where experienced walker/runners coach the beginners. You'd never know it to look at me now, but I used to be pretty good at running. It was the only sport I could handle. There was no team, no ball, no equipment. It was just me and my own two feet. Anyhow, they're starting an all female beginning walker/runner class near the end of April and I think the daughter unit and I are going to participate. It's an eight week class with the opportunity to extend for a little longer, and it might be just the kick in the butt I need to get started again.
At least that's the goal. Exercise is one of the easiest habits to fall out of I ever saw. :-( But I do remember how much better I used to feel and I do miss it. I hope this does the trick.